The Asics Superblast 2 and Hoka Mach X2 are both excellent, and incredibly expensive, daily trainers that can handle a wide range of runs thanks to the impressive foams in their midsoles. They’re both shoes that we rate very highly on the channel, but which should you get? Nick runs through the pros and cons of each in this video.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
Hoka Mach X2 review:
Asics Superblast 2 review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:52 – How’s The Fit
03:58 – The Run Test
07:43 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and in this video we're going to Be comparing the Hoka Mac X2 and the ax Super Blast [Music] 2 the Mac X2 and the super Blast 2 are Two of my favorite new shoes of the year I've really enjoyed testing both of them They are both Top Class super trainers That do have a very high price tag but Perform very well across a wide range of Runs taking a slightly different Approach the Mac X2 has a PBX plastic Plate in the midsole whereas the sou Blast doesn't have any plate at all as I Mentioned they're both very expensive The sou blast is £200 or $200 uh the Mac X2 is confirmed as $190 don't have the UK price confirmed yet but I think it's Going to be £170 they're very similar in Weight the Mac X2 has 255 G or 9 oz in a Uk9 super blast is slightly lighter at 252 G or 8.9 Oz the Mac X2 has a Slightly lower drop of 5 mm compared to The super blast 8 mm and with the Mac X2 Youve got different stack Heights in the Men's women's shoes in the men's shoe It's 44 mm at the heel 39 at the 4T and In the women's it's 42 at the heel and 37 at the 4ot whereas the super blast is 47 at the heel and 37 mm at the foref Foot across the men's and women's shoes Comes to the design of the two shoes Both of them actually have dual density
Midsoles using two different Foams with The Mac X2 the top layer is a peber foam Which is the bounciest lightest most Impressive foam in hooker's range the One that's used on racing shoes like the Cello X1 and the rocket X2 underneath That is a layer of EVA foam which gives A shoe a bit more stability and Durability and in between those there is A paback plate with wings at the 4 foot To add a bit more stability going for a Pack plate over a carbon one cuz it's a Little bit less stiff and more suitable For daily training as a result you've Got a rocker profile on the shoe and Lots of cutouts on the bottom of the Midsole to reduce weight but none in Areas that in theory should impact too Much on stability with the Mac X2 you've Got a very lightweight woven upper with Really no padding at all around the heel Or any kind of internal heel counter This is a big change from the original Version of the shoe and it makes the Shoe lighter but does mean it has a very Racy feel up top it's got a really Lightweight upper all round and you've Got fairly minimal rubber used on the Outside of the shoe there but you have Got key impact areas at the for foot and Heel covered with the ax super blast 2o As I mentioned you've also got a dual Density midsole but the majority of the Foam in the midsole is FF turbo plus
That's the best foam in asx's range the Stuff used on the metas speed Sky Paris And metas speed Edge Paris Racing shoes You got a A thick wedge of that with a Smaller amount of FF blast plus Eco Underneath that which again adds a bit More durability at the bottom of the Shoe especially there's quite a lot of Foam Exposed on the outso the shoe Though as with the hoker the key impact Areas are covered with rubber there You've got an engineered mesh upper with The ax and a bit more padding around the Hill certainly a lot more than you got With the hoker and more of an internal Heel counter as well you also have more Significant sidewalls of foam i' would Say on the super blast than with the ax And all around it's a bit wider so Probably getting a slightly more stable Design with the super [Music] Blast so it comes to the fit of the two Shoes I've got a uk9 in both but it's Worth noting that's a US 9.5 with Hoka And a US 10 with ax now this is the size I generally have with both of these Brands but obviously the Hoka has a Slightly more dialed in fit and in General Hoka shoes tend to have a Slightly narrower more D in fit than Others which I do appreciate as I'm Someone who has a narrow foot I do think Though the ax super Blast 2 has a more
Accommodating and comfortable upper than The macx 2 I've got no real concerns at All with the fit or anything like that With the S6 it's a well-designed shoe Fits my foot comfortably holds it in Place nice and tightly for fast runs Without causing any kind of hot spots or Rubbing now I didn't have any real Problems with the upper on the hoko Mac X2 myself but you see how it might cause Problems it's got a much kind of more Fiddly and racy fit so I have heel Locked it CU I was worried about rubbing With this very thin heel collar it has On the shoe here there's not a lot of Padding there there's not a lot of Structure you know hug the foot nice and Tightly for fast running but it maybe Has a less relaxed feel than the upper On the super blast and there are reports Out there for sure that people have had Their heels rubbed by the back of the Shoe wasn't a problem for me I got an Okay with the upper but certainly I Think the aex superlast has a more Comfort focused upper than the Mac X2 Onto the run test and as I mentioned at The start these are two shoes that I Really loved running in this year they Are both very expensive shoes for sure But you're getting a lot of shoe for That price they perform really well They're fun to run in and you can do a Wide variety of training in them for
Sure I fair to say the super Blast 2 Carried all impressing me in the same Way the original super blast did but I Found the Hoka Max 2 a big step up on The original Hoka Max in terms of its Speed and versatility all around so we Had the super Blast 2 into test first And we're all very excited about the Shoe because the original super blast Was such a great shoe it was such a Verstyle shoe and to have such a Lightweight shoe given the height stack You have here it's a nice bouncy foam it Feels nice and resilient it works and Runs of any length it's pretty Comfortable and it has bags of pace when You do want to up the speed in the shoe It has quite a stiff feel to it despite The fact it doesn't have a plate in it I Would say it transitions very quickly Onto the forefoot and you get a good Amount of Bounce from it it's not like a Big sink in and springy feeling like you Have with some phones with this FF turbo Plus it's just got that resiliency I Really like in the shoe and I like Actually in the metas speed Sky Paris as Well that just pings you on your way but Also is quite comfortable when you are Moving at more relaxed Paces the runs Have enjoyed the most in the superlast Probably are longer runs I think that's When it really comes into its own Because it has such a consistent feel it
Never bottoms out it really does give You a nice bouncy and supportive feeling For runs of any length and it is pretty Stable for such a high stack shoe with a Big wedge of this bouncy foam underf Foot the times I probably don't like the Superlast quite as much as when I go and Do Flatout stuff in it like it is very Lightweight it's actually lighter than The macx and actually you know obviously This is half a size bigger in the US but It doesn't have a very Nimble feel Because it is a big shoe it is quite Wide and you know when I really want to Get up on my toes or do some Sprints or Even do kind of things like KR it just Feels slightly big to me you can still Do them in it for sure it's a great First style shoe as I mentioned but yeah That's where it doesn't feel quite so Good as opposed to those long runs where I think it feels really good when you're Going through the gears or something Like a progression run or just doing a Long run at a fast pace throughout it Feels amazing max2 is similarly very Verse stle around feels great for Everything but I do think it has a more Dialed in lightweight and fast feel it's A bit more of a narrow shoe you've got That more racy upper and it does feel Lighter than super blast to me even Though it isn't and it has a kind of More aggressive feel when you are going
To do those really speed Focus runs you Also get I think a bit more bounce from The peber in the mids it's a dual Density mids here so it's not as bouncy As the Hocus yellow X1 which has that Full pea mid soole but it is a really Bouncy ride you've got a nice rocker There as well and you know transitions Very smoothly gives you a lot of Bounce And it feels good at a range of Paces Like again done a lot of progression Runs in the hok ma X2 same as a super Blast and I really love doing those kind Of runs in this shoe because it does Feel pretty relaxed at those easy Paces Like I don't think it's necessarily as Stable as the original hok Max or indeed The super blast but I find it stable Enough rolls through nicely and then as You start to go through the gears and Pick up the pace you start to get more And more balce from that P Mido and it Feels really Lively and lightweight Under Foot I've taken it down the track To do a session running 800 met reps and That is where I probably would prefer it Myself to the super blast just because It feels ratier it feels lighter it Feels narrower nimbler and just more Aggressive for that kind of speed work And then maybe when it comes to those More relaxed long runs or easy runs That's when I think the upper is a bit To its detriment because it isn't quite
As comfortable as the one on the super Blast and it feels a bit like it wants To go fast the macx 2 you can run Relaxed in it but it does feel like it Wants to run fast but I think the super Blast does feel a bit more chilled out And accommodating at those lower Paces Partly because of the upper but in General because of the the design all Around obviously is a plate in the hak X2 and that I think must give you Something in terms of repulsion and that Kind of thing but I don't necessarily Feel like it's a big Edge on the super Blast just because this has quite a Stiff feeling it has a really big wedge Of foam I think it is giving you a Similar level of Pop from the foref foot I think in terms of my preference for The Mac X2 for the really fast stuff it Comes more from the fact it is just a More Nimble shoe to me any a way and Maybe a slightly bouncier one as well I Don't think the lack of a plate really Is holding the super blast back in any Way when it comes to Speed it just feels More the size and width of the shoe Makes it a bit more suitable for those Longer hard runs or even longer easy [Music] Runs so it comes to the verdict these Are both great shoes they're both very Verstyle these can both do you know Pretty much all your training runs if
You wanted to you could even go and Racing them if you like but there are Some slight differences between them I Think the Mac X2 is a slightly better Shoe for Speed work and fast runs in General whereas I think the superlast Probably has a bit more versatility to Use as a daily trainer and has a bit More Comfort if you're looking at long Runs in particular if you can get on With the upper of the hok X2 and you Like the feeling under the foot at easy Paces I think is a really great Allrounder it's probably the shoe I Prefer out of the two myself cuz I quite Like a minimal upper I find I get no Heel rubbing at the back of the shoe or Achilles irritation and I do think it Works really well for my kind of Training where I'm doing a lot of kind Of progression runs in the week you know Easy to steady progression runs and a Couple of sessions a week I think it Handles those really well and I do think Is a really good versatile shoe for sure Superlast is probably the more capable Mileage shoe though it's really great For long runs there's no fit concerns of It at all I think it will work for a Wide range of Runners for sure if you Don't think about the price tag too much I do think it is you know a really Impressive shoe for sure and one that You can use for everything I just like
The slightly more daring narrow feel of The hak X2 when I am going to do speed Work and I don't mind it for easy runs I Think people will probably prefer the Super blast for easy runs in general Though partly because the upper is so Much more accommodating so I'd say if You have quite a minimal rotation and You're looking for one shoe to do Basically everything perhaps alongside Like a carbon Pate racing shoe for race Day I think the Su blast is the better One shoe to do at all out of these two Because like I said it's a bit more Comfortable it's a shoe you can Definitely pull out day in day out and Use for pretty much everything and it Feels great for everything especially if You are racking up big miles like I say If you have a rotation where you already Have an easy day shoe though and want More of a speed focused daily trainer to Pop in alongside it I think the Mac X2 Is the one I would go for I think it has That more like I say racy feel to it Than the super blast and I do like Running Flatout reps and that kind of Thing in this shoe more than the super Blast it is all very close around though Obviously the Hoka has a little Edge as Well by being a bit cheaper but in the US it's not that big a difference but They are two pretty spectacular shoes I Really do like them if you are looking
At the Hoka I would certainly try and Try it on if you can just to see if that Upper suits you but all around two great Shoes as I mentioned I think the super Blast probably a little bit more capable As a do it all daily trainer and the Macx do a little bit better if you're Looking for a fast trainer to add to a [Music] Rotation that's a comparison of the hook Ma X2 and the ax super Blast 2 let us Know what you think in the comments Below please do like and subscribe ring The little bell so you get notified when We do new videos and we'll see you next Time
